Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners.The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story.The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter 1

‘We have a live one Commander. Bringing him in now.’

Straker did not need the signs to guide him as he walked the corridors. The underground base had continued to develop over the years, adding new walkways, new sections, even lower levels, but the SHADO Commander knew every part and his mind was fixed on other things besides the layout of the base.

A live one. The first for over a year. Maybe this time they might have a chance. It was about time they got a break. He paused to let Alec catch up. Continue reading →

He knelt down and leaned over the dog, one trembling hand reaching out in trepidation. Not Wolf. Please. The tongue lolled out of the open mouth, the brilliant blue eyes were closed, the plumed tail motionless. He did not want to touch, to feel that body still and lifeless; not after a day such as today. He looked back into the brightness of the shop entrance where the bag of kibble had fallen on its side next to the carton of milk. He should have made Wolf stay in the car.

Straker jerked out of the nightmare, his own harsh voice shouting himself awake, his legs scrabbling to get a foothold. He tried to push the sheets away to sit and wipe sweat from his face in an attempt to forget the nightmare but his hands would not obey him. The foul smell in his nostrils made him want to retch and he forced himself to stand….

Jackson was still working, eyes staring at a slide before he slid it under the old fashioned microscope on his table. He leaned forward to examine the results. ‘Hmm…’ a long-drawn out sigh of disappointment before he pulled the slide out and selected another, his fingers quick and assured. He ignored the footsteps behind him and continued turning a dial until the breath on the back of his neck made him sigh.